Alcohol usage is a common occurrence in today’s society, however the consumption amount varies across geographical regions and can be influenced by different factors (World Bank, 2022). The report explores the relationship between total alcohol consumption and the geographical regions, as well as the significant influence of religion in alcohol usage globally.
While it is commonly assumed males are the primary consumers of alcohol, this report goes beyond geographical considerations and investigates the prevalence of alcohol disorders among both males and females across various income groups (Institue for Health Metrics and Evaluation, Global Burden of Disease, 2019). The aim is to identify any variations and temporal trends in alcohol-related issues.
Moreover, overconsumption of alcohol can harm an individual’s health and safety, leading to relationships and/or financial problems (Institue for Health Metrics and Evaluation, Global Burden of Disease, 2019). Alcohol use disorders affect people globally and causes death every year either directly, from alcohol-induced diseases such as liver diseases, neurodegenerative disorders, or heart failure, or indirectly from suicide.
While alcohol is often consumed for leisure, relaxation, and celebration, it unfortunately becomes a crutch for temporarily alleviating stress, grief, and sorrow. Furthermore, the consumption and types of alcohol have also become associated with social status (WHO, Global Health Observatory. 2022). However, it is important to acknowledge that alcohol consumption can also lead to various disorders that may result in fatal consequences.
Thus, this report delves into the influence of income on alcohol consumption, explores the contributing variables to alcohol-related deaths, and discusses countries with the highest percentage of deaths attributed to alcohol use disorders.
# Read data and review
alcohol <- read.csv("Data/alcohol.csv")
Table 2.1 presented the overall median global growth of alcohol consumption from 2000 to 2018. However, Figure 2.1 revealed that regions were still experiencing diverging patterns during this period. Regions such as ‘East Asia and Pacific’, ‘South Asia’, ‘North America’ and ‘Middle East and North Africa’ increased in alcohol consumption, while other regions like ‘Europe and Central Asia’, ‘Latin America and Caribbean’ and ‘Sub-Saharan Africa’ experienced declines.
Table 2.1 provided insights of the average (6.18L) and median (6.11L) alcohol consumption in 2010, this year stands as the highest in total consumption. Similarly, Figure 2 presents the visual depiction of countries around the world reaching their highest in 2010, followed by subsequent decrease.
Table 2.1 displays the IQR, the range, Mean and Median values of total alcohol consumption in 2000, 2005, 2010, 2015 and 2018
| Statistics | 2000 | 2005 | 2010 | 2015 | 2018 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Min. | 0 | 0.018999999 | 0.032000002 | 0.003 | 0.003 |
| 1st Qu. | 2.410000086 | 2.309999943 | 2.470000029 | 2.38499993125 | 2.3975000975 |
| Median | 5.488336086 | 5.369999886 | 6.110000134 | 5.8805630205 | 5.7849998475 |
| Mean | 6.06807314336548 | 6.12577095275635 | 6.18171174677114 | 6.11046166576238 | 6.03252799644059 |
| 3rd Qu. | 9.149999619 | 9.359999657 | 9.649999619 | 9.564999819 | 9.260000229 |
| Max. | 17.45000076 | 19.95000076 | 17.43000031 | 18.35000038 | 20.5 |
Figure 2.1 displays the trends in total alcohol consumption across geographical regions from 2000 to 2018, with the World’s rate shown as a dot-dashed line
‘Europe and Central Asia’ region experienced a notable decrease in consumption, while ‘Latin America and Caribbean’ and ‘Sub-Saharan Africa’ regions saw slight declines
‘East Asia and Pacific’ and ‘South Asia’ regions presented rapid growth, particularly between 2005 and 2010
‘North America’ and ‘Middle East and North Africa’ regions had minor increases, however the ‘Middle East and North Africa’ remained the lowest
Figure 2.1: Region Chart
Figure 2.1 highlighted the region ‘Middle East and North Africa’ as having had experienced the least growth and changes from 2000 to 2018 in comparison to the others. Notably, ‘Middle East and North Africa’ consistently exhibited the lowest alcohol consumption (consuming less than 1L each year). Similarly, Figure 2 shows the geographical locations: the Middle East, North Africa and the Greater Indonesia to have had minor changes over the years.
Table 2.2 demonstrates consistency among the lowest 10 countries in alcohol consumption over the years, with only minor variations. Interestingly, a significant number of these countries are known for their devotion of Islamic values.
Although the impact of religion on alcohol consumption cannot be definitively determined without further global religious information. Figure 2.1, Table 2.2 and Figure 2 suggest that these locations (the Middle East, North Africa and the Greater Indonesia) may experience lower alcohol consumption due to religious beliefs.
Figure 2 presents the alcohol consumption per capita in 2000, 2005, 2010, 2015 and 2018. Some notable observations are:
In 2000, Russia showed high alcohol consumption but over time it declined to 11.19L in 2018
In 2010, most countries had their highest rate of alcohol consumption
From 2000 to 2018, the majority of North Africa, the Middle East and the Greater Indonesia regions presented minimal changes in alcohol consumption - this may be attributed by Islamic beliefs as the Quran deems drinking as haram
Table 2.2 presents the lowest 10 countries in 2000, 2005, 2010, 2015 and 2018 in alcohol consumption
| Entity | 2000 | 2005 | 2010 | 2015 | 2018 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brunei | 0.230000004 | 0.209999993 |
|
|
|
| Niger | 0.230000004 | 0.25 |
|
|
|
| Iran | 0.209999993 |
|
|
|
|
| Mauritania | 0.200000003 | 0.129999995 | 0.086000003 | 0.033 | 0.035999998 |
| Comoros | 0.189999998 |
|
0.25 |
|
|
| Saudi Arabia | 0.180000007 | 0.170000002 | 0.170000002 | 0.200000003 | 0.189999998 |
| Pakistan | 0.085000001 | 0.159999996 | 0.189999998 | 0.289999992 | 0.340000004 |
| Libya | 0.064000003 | 0.082999997 | 0.097999997 | 0.028999999 | 0.018999999 |
| Kuwait | 0.037999999 | 0.018999999 | 0.032000002 | 0.003 | 0.003 |
| Somalia | 0 | 0.068000004 | 0.280000001 | 0.013 | 0.009 |
| Egypt |
|
0.289999992 |
|
|
|
| Bangladesh |
|
0.159999996 | 0.159999996 | 0.021 | 0.018999999 |
| Afghanistan |
|
|
0.209999993 | 0.209999993 | 0.209999993 |
| Yemen |
|
|
0.180000007 | 0.055 | 0.050999999 |
| Syria |
|
|
|
0.280000001 | 0.239999995 |
An association between income and alcohol disorders reveals noteworthy deviations from 2010 to 2019 but it is also important to consider the influence of other socioeconomic factors.
There is a noticeable distinction between the high-income group and other income groups as illustrated in Figure 3.1. The percentage of alcohol disorders in the high-income group is significantly greater when compared with other income groups especially among females. This may be a result of females in the high-income group subject to societal expectations or gender roles which lead to increased alcohol related issues. There is a consistent trend indicating a higher prevalence of alcohol disorders among individuals from the higher income groups possibly with work pressures.
Interestingly, the income groups among both males and females both have the lower-middle income group with the lowest rate of alcohol disorders. This may be due to considerations such as lower financial stressors and mental and physical well-being. However, the low and upper-middle income groups have a higher rate particularly among the males. Similarly, this may be due to financial and work stressors.
When comparing the rate of alcohol use disorders in 2010 and 2019 as shown in 3.1, both males and females have similar trends. It can be noted there have been decrease in males with alcohol use disorders for the high income group and significantly in lower-middle income group by 0.14%. A parallel trend follows for females in the high and lower-middle income groups. Males in the high income group are approximately double the rate of females with alcohol disorders. However, when compared males and females in the other income groups, the rate of alcohol disorders in males are roughly 4 times the rates in females.
Interestingly, the income groups among both males and females both have the lower-middle income group with the lowest rate of alcohol disorders. This may be due to considerations such as lower financial stressors and mental and physical well-being. However, the low and upper-middle income groups have a higher rate particularly among the males. Similarly, this may be due to financial and work stressors. Furthermore, it is crucial to understand that the working population in each income group may be not accurate and the income brackets of each group may be skewed. Regardless of the data limitations, there are several variations in the prevalence of alcohol disorders among men and women across different income groups.
Figure 3.1: Percentage of males and females with alcohol use disorders across different income groups
| Entity | Year | Prevalence_alcohol_use_disorders_male | Prevalence_alcohol_use_disorders_female |
|---|---|---|---|
| World Bank High Income | 2010 | 2.92 | 1.31 |
| World Bank High Income | 2019 | 2.86 | 1.29 |
| World Bank Low Income | 2010 | 2.04 | 0.56 |
| World Bank Low Income | 2019 | 2.06 | 0.57 |
| World Bank Lower Middle Income | 2010 | 1.91 | 0.40 |
| World Bank Lower Middle Income | 2019 | 1.77 | 0.39 |
| World Bank Upper Middle Income | 2010 | 2.37 | 0.70 |
| World Bank Upper Middle Income | 2019 | 2.42 | 0.65 |
By observing Figure 3.2, across all regions, it is clear there is a higher percentage of males with alcohol disorders than females and this statistic has not changed over the period 2010 to 2019. However, there is no evident similar trends between each region as there are various attributable factors such as evolving social norms, increased alcohol availability and alterations in cultural traditions. Regardless, there is an apparent upsurge over this period in the percentage males with alcohol issues are increasing in Australia, China and the United Kingdom. This is also noticeable among females in Australia but in other regions, there are insignificant increases or dips.
In Table 3.2, the same deductions can be derived. It can be assumed with the an ever-increasing human population, the percentage of individuals with alcohol use disorders across different regions can differ drastically over the 2010 to 2019 period. Regardless of this limitation, it is evident alcohol is a significant problem in areas around the world especially when the population is increasing.
Figure 3.2: Percentage of males and females with alcohol use disorders among major regions from 2010 to 2019
| Entity | Year | Prevalence_alcohol_use_disorders_male | Prevalence_alcohol_use_disorders_female |
|---|---|---|---|
| African Region (WHO) | 2010 | 1.70 | 0.58 |
| African Region (WHO) | 2019 | 1.68 | 0.58 |
| Australia | 2010 | 2.51 | 1.33 |
| Australia | 2019 | 2.72 | 1.41 |
| China | 2010 | 1.91 | 0.45 |
| China | 2019 | 2.17 | 0.40 |
| European Region (WHO) | 2010 | 3.47 | 1.39 |
| European Region (WHO) | 2019 | 3.36 | 1.33 |
| United Kingdom | 2010 | 4.83 | 1.40 |
| United Kingdom | 2019 | 5.48 | 1.48 |
| United States | 2010 | 3.28 | 1.88 |
| United States | 2019 | 3.22 | 1.80 |
Belarus and Mongolia had the highest direct death rates (not including indirect death from suicide) of 21.80 and 17.05 per 100,000 people, respectively, followed by Russia, El Salvador, and Greenland (Table 4.1).
Most of the countries with high death rates are in the subarctic or arctic zones in the northern hemisphere (Figure 4.1). This is in line with findings from section 1. The cold and dark climates in these countries might have contributed to this observation.
However, countries in hot and humid weather such as Guatemala and Brazil also had high death rates from alcohol abuse. Countries in the southern subarctic zone with high alcohol consumption levels only showed low to moderate death rates. Therefore, cultural, genetic, historical, and religious factors cannot be ignored when investigating the underlying reason of high death rates in these countries.
Figure 4.1: Annual Death rates from alcohol
| Entity | Mean |
|---|---|
| Belarus | 21.80 |
| Mongolia | 17.05 |
| Russia | 14.88 |
| El Salvador | 14.55 |
| Greenland | 13.76 |
| Guatemala | 13.44 |
| Saint Kitts and Nevis | 12.95 |
| Estonia | 12.62 |
| Ukraine | 12.53 |
| Latvia | 10.59 |
| Kazakhstan | 9.92 |
| Moldova | 9.40 |
| Lithuania | 9.04 |
| Denmark | 8.95 |
| Poland | 8.30 |
| Nicaragua | 8.20 |
| United States Virgin Islands | 7.94 |
| Finland | 7.14 |
| Kyrgyzstan | 7.06 |
| Antigua and Barbuda | 6.21 |
Table 4.2 shows the standard deviations of %death from alcohol per country from 2010-2019. Most countries with high variances also had high average %death rates such as Kazakhstan, Guatemala, Russia, Mongolia, etc.
In figure 4.2, rate groups are classified by the average annual %death rates over 2010-2019 into low (group1, <=1st quarter), medium (group2, <3rd quarter & >1st quarter) and high (group3, >=3st quarter). Only the top ten countries are shown in each group. Note that the y axis are different in each subplot. This is to illustrate the trends in each group.
Zooming in onto the global trends, we can see that:
Most countries with both medium and high average annual %death from alcohol showed some improvements with a decreased %death rate.
Countries with low average annual %death from alcohol had more fluctuations and some even showed a slight increase.
Figure 4.2: Changes of death rates from alcohol in selected countries 2010-2019
| Entity | Standard_deviation |
|---|---|
| Kazakhstan | 1.89 |
| Guatemala | 1.30 |
| Russia | 1.26 |
| Mongolia | 1.22 |
| Greenland | 1.03 |
| Estonia | 1.02 |
| Lithuania | 0.96 |
| Moldova | 0.86 |
| Paraguay | 0.84 |
| Saint Kitts and Nevis | 0.74 |
| Ukraine | 0.70 |
| Finland | 0.68 |
| El Salvador | 0.66 |
| Kyrgyzstan | 0.53 |
| Tajikistan | 0.46 |
| Nicaragua | 0.45 |
| Belarus | 0.42 |
| Ecuador | 0.42 |
| Denmark | 0.40 |
| Turkmenistan | 0.37 |
It is evident alcohol use continues to be a significant problem today. Although the data used is a simple snippet during the period 2010 to 2019, there are various external factors providing such widespread results.
Firstly, total alcohol consumption presented diverging trends over time, as some regions experienced growth while others declined. Particularly, the Middle East, North Africa, and the Greater Indonesia region displayed consistency in low alcohol usage, which suggests a potential influence of religion given the prevalence of Islamic values in these countries. However, further information is needed to determine the relationship between religion and alcohol consumption.
Secondly, it is clear both males and females in the high-income group have a higher percentage with alcohol use disorders. Additionally, the temporal trend in the prevalence of alcohol disorders across major regions have shown Australia, China and the UK to have significant rises in males with alcohol use orders with other regions showing minor decline. Furthermore, the rate of females with alcohol use disorders have not altered drastically.
Thirdly, deaths from alcohol tend to be more prevalent in countries with cold and dry climates. However, social, cultural, and economic factors are more of our interest to investigate because, whereas we cannot do much about a country’s weather, we could understand what is causing people to drink too much, which would potentially allow us to design educational and addiction treatment programs to offer support.
Lastly, the conducted analysis does suggest that an increase in personal income does increase the tendency to consume more alcohol. However, maybe because of a limit on how much alcohol can be consumed by a person, the consumption of alcohol does not increase further beyond a certain income threshold. The exploration of the data available suggests that percentage death in alcohol use disorders increases with an increase in alcohol consumption and household alcohol expense, which would make sense as both alcohol consumption and alcohol expense are directly related. On the contrary, percentage deaths from alcohol use disorders actually decreases with an increase in GDP Per Capita, which is also reiterated when we explored some of the countries with the highest percentage of deaths from alcohol use disorders in 2015. The insights obtained in this report are suggestive that death may be dependent on additional predictors such as consumption of unsafe and low quality alcohol, comparatively poorer individual health, lack of quality and affordable healthcare and provides highly relevant topics for future research.
As we explored the relationship between income and alcohol consumption, as well as factors leading to alcohol-related deaths, valuable insights were discovered surrounding this issue although there may be limitations with external factors not considered in this report. By recognizing the relationship between geographical regions, social factors, and alcohol consumption, we can develop targeted interventions and strategies to mitigate the negative effects of alcohol use disorders.
H, Ritchie and M, Roser. (2018) Alcohol Consumption. OurWorldInData.org. [Data set] https://ourworldindata.org/alcohol-consumption
Institue for Health Metrics and Evaluation, Global Burden of Disease. (2019). GBD results. . [Data set]. Global Burden of Disease Collaborative Network. http://ghdx.healthdata.org/gbd-results-tool
WHO, Global Health Observatory. (2022). Indicator: alcohol expenditure as a per cent of total household expenditure. . [Data set]. https://ghoapi.azureedge.net/api/
World Bank. (2022). World Development Indicators. Global Health Observatory Data Repository - World Health Organization [Data set]. https://datacatalog.worldbank.org/search/dataset/0037712/World-Development-Indicators